Nearly Perfect
by Black Hole Phoenix
Summary: A strange woman appears at the SGC, claiming to be a flesh and blood component of Gate network. What does she mean by saying that their Stargate has performed several illegal actions, and how does she propose to repair the system?
1. The Embodiment

:Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1 or any of the characters in the show. The only character I claim any rights to is the (as-yet) nameless woman. Also, the concept I present here as the way the Stargate system "really" works is my own idea. Just FYI, this story takes place during Season 7 of the show, sometime before the episode "Heroes." Please review, and hope you enjoy: 

* * *

Klaxons sounded and red lights flashed. Boots rushed through the corridors to the Gate Room. In the control room, Sgt. Walter Harriman announced, "Unscheduled off-world activation! Closing the iris." General Hammond and the SG-1 team watched the Gate Room through the glass windows as military personnel took their positions in the Gate Room, a standard precaution. Doctor Daniel Jackson, along with several others, winced when a muffled thump came from the Stargate. That sound was very bad. It meant that someone had tried to come through the gate and been vaporized. Most people looked at their feet or at some imagined spot along the base of the wall in front of them as the sound came a second time. Several moments passed. Long, silent moments. 

"Why hasn't the gate shut down," asked Hammond.

"I don't know, sir. Something must be keeping it open on the other side," Walter replied.

Suddenly, the iris shimmered. "What the hell is that," Hammond demanded.

"Sir, I can't figure out these readings—sir! The iris controls are being overridden! It's being opened!" Walter pecked rapidly and frantically at the keyboard.

"Keep it closed," replied Hammond.

"I can't, sir. I've been locked out of the system." Walter's hands flew over the keyboard.

"Get us back in."

"Trying, sir."

General Hammond turned back to the window. The iris had opened much more slowly than usual. The blue, water-like substance inside the Stargate shimmered, turning opalescent. It undulated and changed shape, looking like a capital Y standing in the gate. The Y became smaller, now about the size of a human figure, and then it took a human shape. A young, and rather naked, woman stood in the Stargate with her legs together and arms stretched up and slightly to the side. Her body was well toned, and her hair was long, reddish-brown, and very wavy. The opalescent glow disappeared as if someone had turned off a switch, and she fell forward onto the ramp.

"General Hammond, let me go in there," Daniel said.

"What are you saying, Doctor Jackson? She could be dangerous!" Hammond looked surprised that Daniel would even contemplate going into a room with a strange, possibly dangerous alien who obviously had the power to force open the iris.

"Uh, yeah, but I don't think we want her to think that we're hostile," said Daniel, staring at the crumpled young woman thoughtfully.

"Hey, Daniel, better safe than sorry, you know," Colonel Jack O'Neill piped in.

"We don't know what she's capable of," added Hammond.

"Well, if we offend her we may very well be sorry. Right now, we do know that her people have the technology to override our iris. I don't think it would be a good idea to get her pissed off because she wakes up surrounded by a bunch of guys pointing guns at her. That could be seen as an act of war, and then her people might retaliate, and I have a feeling we wouldn't like that." Daniel mentally willed General Hammond to see the logic.

Hammond leaned back a bit. "I hadn't thought of that, Doctor." He took a moment to consider. "Alright, Doctor Jackson, you may go in there, but I'm keeping the Marines in there with you and I want you to stay out of their line of fire. Got it?"

Daniel nodded. "Thanks, General."

Minutes later, Daniel stood at the end of the ramp. Behind him, off to both sides, the Marines had spread out and were aiming their weapons at the woman, who was beginning to stir. Dr. Frasier was standing by in the Control Room in case the woman needed medical assistance. Not knowing how the woman might react, General Hammond wanted to risk as few people as possible.

The woman slowly pushed herself into a kneeling position, looking a little bewildered. She began to slowly survey the room, meeting Daniel's eyes, scanning the line of marines, tilting her head and furrowing her eyebrows when she saw the windows to the control room. Finally, she half-turned at the waist and looked back at the Stargate. She turned back to Daniel, her expression disapproving. She stared right into Daniel's eyes, still on her knees, and when she spoke, she used absolutely perfect diction, which gave her voice a strange sort of almost-accent.

"This Gateway has performed several illegal functions over the past seven years, overriding safety protocols and creating havoc that should not have been permitted to occur. Also, an unsanctioned device has been strategically placed to prohibit exit from an incoming access ramp, and there is no sign of the required Destination Designation Apparatus." In one smooth movement she rocked back and stood, without using her hands. "Why?"

"Uh, hi, I'm Doctor Daniel Jackson of the Taur'i. I would like to welcome you to the planet Earth, and I assure, your questions will be answered." Daniel turned to the Marines behind him, saying softly, "guys, I think you can relax now."

The soldier in charge turned to look up at General Hammond, who nodded reassuringly and made a motion with his hand. "Stand down, men. Stay ready," Hammond ordered. The Marines lowered their weapons and stood warily.

Dr. Frasier came into the room, carrying a hospital gown. Daniel introduced her to the woman on the ramp. "This is Doctor Janet Frasier. She's our medical doctor. We'd like to have her give you a check-up, it's, ah, standard procedure. We mean no offence, uh— what's your name?"

Seeming faintly puzzled, the woman thought for a moment before answering. "We do not have a name. We have never required the use of nomenclature before."

"Here, put this on," said Dr. Frasier, holding up the hospital gown. The woman took it, but looked puzzled, so Janet helped her put it on.

"This is what humans call 'clothes,' correct?" asked the woman.

"Yes, this is a kind of clothing. We wear clothes almost all the time. Some people find it discomforting to be around someone who's naked," Janet answered.

"Then we wish to apologize, Doctor Janet Frasier and Doctor Daniel Jackson, if we have made you uncomfortable. That was not our intention."

"Oh, no, no, it's ok. Don't worry about it. But, ah, I was wondering why exactly you are referring to yourself in the plural. Do you carry a symbiote or – something?" Daniel inquired.

"No, we are a nearly-perfect, sentient being created by the compiled computer systems of all active Destination Designation Apparatuses for the purpose of repair. We can sense each device, and we have the composite memories of them all. We are accustomed to operating in the plural." Daniel blinked several times in rapid succession, while Janet raised her eyebrows. Meanwhile, Hammond had come into the Gate Room, along with the rest of the SG-1 team.

"I'm General Hammond, the leader of this facility. I would like to say welcome to Earth, and I hope you were not offended by the military forces that accompanied Dr. Jackson."

"We were not, General Hammond. And we believe the correct response to your welcome is 'thank you.'" The woman turned to Dr. Frasier. "Dr. Janet Frasier, we believe you wanted to perform a 'check-up' on us?"

"Yes, of course. This way." Janet began to lead the way to the Infirmary. The SG-1 team were not far behind, where Jack was questioning Daniel about the girl.

"So Daniel, what's her name?"

"She said she's never needed one before, so she doesn't have one."

"Doesn't have one? How can someone not have a name? Everybody has a name."

Major Samantha Carter smirked as she replied. "Well, you know what they say, Colonel. What's in a name?"

"Yeah, yeah, funny, Carter. But anyway, what was that business about apparatuses and being a nearly perfect, sentient being created by some doohickey or other?"

"Well, Jack, I'm not really sure. I think she said that she's basically a flesh-and-blood component of the Stargate network."

"Weird," Jack commented.

"Interesting," mused Samantha.

"You would think so, wouldn't you, Carter." Jack softened the insult by flashing a cheeky grin at her.


	2. Distrust

:Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1 or any of the characters in the show. The only character I claim any rights to is the (as-yet) nameless woman. Also, the concept I present here as the way the Stargate system "really" works is my own idea. Just FYI, this story takes place during Season 7 of the show, sometime before the episode "Heroes." Please review, and hope you enjoy:

P.S. – I now accept anonymous reviews, so please please please review!!:

* * *

"I can't explain it, General," Dr. Frasier said, showing Hammond and SG-1 the various charts, graphs, and other test results from her examination of the woman. "She has twice as much DNA as a normal human being." 

"What is she, Doctor?" asked Hammond.

"She's human, sir," Janet replied. "She's just…better. More advanced, more evolved somehow. See, here's an example of a normal human being's DNA. A typical double helix. But take a look at hers—it's a quadruple helix. The DNA itself is human, but there's simply more of it. I've never seen anything like this before."

"So you're saying she's perfect? Like, biologically?" Jack asked.

"Well, I don't know if I'd say perfect, exactly, but a lot closer to it than we are, Colonel."

Jack looked into the infirmary through the large glass window in Dr. Frasier's office. The woman was sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, her legs dangling and her hands clasped in her lap as she gazed around the room, bored. Proper clothes had been found for her, similar to what the SG teams wore while at the base. She had refused the shoes, saying that they were too uncomfortable.

"What does she want, Doctor?" Hammond asked Janet.

"She keeps saying that she has to repair the system, whatever that means."

"I think she means the Stargate system," Daniel said, thinking out loud.

"What?" several people asked at once.

"Well, she said she was the human component of the Stargate computer system, and that she was created for the purpose of repair. And the first thing she did was to list several things that were wrong with our Gate. So the logical assumption would be that she's here to repair our Gate."

"What exactly would that entail?" General Hammond left the question open for anyone to answer.

"That's impossible to say, sir," Sam replied, running her fingers through her short blonde hair as she tried to imagine it. "I mean, we've got this system pretty much jury-rigged. We've all known from the beginning that there might be problems with it."

"MacGyvered, I believe, was the term you used originally." Jack's comment sounded a bit vague, as he was examining a printout image of the strange woman's DNA, turning it sideways and upside down.

"I'm not even sure I'm prepared to allow her to 'repair' anything," said Hammond.

"General, with all due respect, I think maybe we should ask her what exactly she thinks she needs to do," Daniel countered. "It might just be a matter of us teaching her how to use our computers so that she can create a program that fits whatever specifications the Ancients originally intended the Stargate to follow."

"But Daniel, what if those specifications are going to cause problems for us," argued Samantha. "I mean, we have no idea exactly what she thinks is wrong with our system. She said something about not having a Destination Designation Apparatus, and I'm pretty sure she means a Dial Home Device. Without a DHD, she might decide that our gate should be shut down."

"We don't know that for sure. But, best-case scenario, we'll have all the safety protocols in place, so we won't go gating through any more suns, or black holes, or…whatever else we're not supposed to do. It can't hurt to find out before we just say, 'no, thanks, not today, we'll just take a -- "

Janet, glancing through the observation window, interrupted Daniel. "What on earth?" She dashed from the room, with everyone but Daniel close behind her.

"Rain…check…on that," Daniel finished lamely before following suit.

* * *

In the infirmary, the woman had placed her hand on the screen that was monitoring her vitals. Her head was lolling to one side, her shoulders were slumped, and her eyes were fluttering wildly. As Janet and the others rushed to her bedside, she straightened up. 

"This terminal does not connect to the larger computation system on this base. We will require a direct conduit into that system if we are to adapt to your technology."

"What just happened here," asked General Hammond.

Janet simultaneously said, "How are you feeling? Are you all right?" She began checking the woman for symptoms of some kind of seizure.

"We are fine, Doctor Janet Frasier. We were merely connecting to the device to learn what we could about your technology." After a brief pause, the woman continued. "When may we leave the…infirmary…and proceed with our work?"

Hammond answered. "As to when you'll be released, that's up to Doctor Frasier. But as to your…work, we want to know more about you and what you do."

"We are in perfect health, General Hammond. We were designed to come into existence fully prepared to complete our work. And we well understand your reason for delaying that work. You trust the Gateway itself to perform its function, why do you not trust us? We are simply another component of the system you've been abusing for several years." The woman showed little emotion on her face, but judging by her tone of voice she was deeply insulted. Undeterred, Janet shone a tiny flashlight from one of the woman's eyes to the other.

Daniel jumped in, hoping to defuse the situation. "I'm sorry, please forgive any insult, but we have a lot of reason not to trust the unknown. Trust is something that needs to be built. We are…very cautious when it comes to letting strangers, no offense, near our technology."

"So you do not believe that we are what we say we are," the woman said, her tone icy.

Janet put a stethoscope to the woman's chest, moving it occasionally. The woman gave no sign of noticing the doctor.

"Well, honestly, we don't know what to believe," said Daniel. "We know of no precedent for a human repair component being…created by the Stargate. We don't mean to offend you in any way, but this is all very strange to us. We simply want to make sure we're doing the right thing before we put our entire world in danger."

The woman still sounded angry, but replied, "very well, Doctor Daniel Jackson. We will attempt to be patient. But we will require better accommodations than a medical wing if we are forced to wait." She looked thoughtful for a moment. When she spoke again, the anger was gone from her voice. "We suspect that we are behaving in an unseemly manner. If that is so, we apologize most profusely. We ask that you consider the fact that, in all the times we've been activated since the Makers left our branch of the system, we have not needed to interact with other beings. We are…out of practice."

"We understand," said General Hammond. "And we have no intentions of keeping you here for the duration of your stay. We've had the VIP room prepared for you, and as soon as Doctor Frasier releases you, you'll be escorted there. And I'm sure we can find someone to show you around."

"And from whom we can re-learn our social skills?" The woman now wore a rueful smile.

"I guess so," said Hammond, chuckling slightly.

"General, I'd like to volunteer – "

"I thought you might, Doctor Jackson. Permission granted."

Dr. Frasier made one last note on the woman's chart. "She is right, General, she's in perfect health. I see no reason to keep her here any longer."

"Alright, then – Doctor Jackson, if you would, please escort our guest to the VIP room."

Daniel offered the woman a hand as she hopped off the hospital bed. As they walked out of the Infirmary, Daniel apologized again for any misunderstanding.

"Please, Doctor Daniel Jackson, there is no need for further apologies. You were being cautious, and we were being quite impolite. The fault belongs as much with us as it does with you and your people."

"Um, yeah. You know, you can call me Daniel."

"Is that a way of shortening one's name, a…nickname?"

"No, no, it's actually a bit more complicated than that." As they reached the elevator, Daniel tried to figure out where to start in order to best explain about titles and the use of first names and last names.


	3. Requests

:Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1 or any of the characters in the show. The only character I claim any rights to is the (as-yet) nameless woman. Also, the concept I will present here as the way the Stargate system "really" works is my own idea. Just FYI, this story takes place during Season 7 of the show, sometime before the episode "Heroes." Please review, and hope you enjoy:

P.S. – I now accept anonymous reviews, so please please please review!!:

* * *

A few hours had passed since Doctor Jackson had escorted the strange woman out of the infirmary. General Hammond was reading over the report he had written up concerning the incident. He had already contacted the president, who instructed Hammond to call back as soon as he knew what this woman intended, and how that would affect the Stargate program. With a heavy sigh, Hammond put the report down and scrubbed at his eyes with his knuckles. This particular report had proved difficult to write. Suddenly, there was a rap on the door.

"Come in," said Hammond. The door opened. "Doctor Jackson. How is our guest?"

"She's, ah, resting. Under protest." At Hammond's quirked eyebrow, Daniel continued. "She still wants to do something to 'fulfill her purpose,' as she puts it."

"I see. Has she been any more forthcoming about exactly what she wants to do?"

"I tried asking her about that, but she says she has to assess the situation before she'll know what needs to be done. To that end, she's asked me to make a few requests on her behalf."

"Go, on, Doctor Jackson."

"Well, she says she needs to interface with our computer system, which as far as I can tell is basically what she did with the computer in the Infirmary. The problem is that she'll gain access to all of our data. But she says she will eventually have to evaluate any and all programs that pertain to the Stargate so she can figure out what needs to be done. She would also like to take a closer look at the iris. She says she needs to see how it was joined to the Gate and how it works."

"I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea of her getting into our computers, Doctor Jackson."

"I know, and I tried to explain that to her, but she just kept saying that she has to do it."

"Well, let me contact the President and let him know what's going on. In the meantime, I think we could let her have a look at the iris." Hammond shifted some papers out of the way and reached for the red phone. "Was there something else, Doctor Jackson?"

"Uh, yeah, she's also requested one of those baby name book things. She wants to pick a name for herself."

"Certainly. I'll send someone out right away."

"Thanks, General."

* * *

Daniel poked his head into the laboratory Sam was working in. She didn't seem to be in the middle of anything important, so he said, "Hey, Sam!"

"Daniel! What are you doing here?"

"Gee, thanks, I feel really welcome now."

"Oh, stop it. I just meant that you were showing that woman around, weren't you? How'd that go?"

"Well, she's very impatient. Try to show her anything that doesn't directly involve the Stargate, she starts changing the subject, asking if she can see the Gate. Although she seemed interested enough when I tried to explain names to her."

Daniel started to ramble on about how the current system of nomenclature had evolved. Sam smiled and shook her head before interrupting, "So what did General Hammond say?"

"Oh, ah, well, he's willing to let her take a closer look at the iris. Actually, that's where she is now. I just wanted to ask you – "

Klaxons sounded, and Sergeant Harriman's voice was heard. "Unscheduled off-world activation!" Sam and Daniel rushed out of the lab.

* * *

The woman ran her hand along the inner part of the Stargate, eyes closed, using only her sense of touch to examine the seam where the iris connected. She jumped a little when someone put a foot on the ramp and a man's voice said, "hey."

She whirled to see who was disturbing her.

"Sorry," said Jack. "Didn't mean to scare you." He stood casually at the end of the ramp, leaning on the railing.

"We were merely inspecting the iris. Or rather, _I _was inspecting the iris."

"Trying to stop with the whole plural thing, huh? Well, I have something here that just might help."

"What is it?"

Jack held up a baby name book. "Here. Names out the wazoo. Pick a name, any name."

She walked to the end of the ramp and took the book from Jack's outstretched hand. "Thank you, Jack."

Opening the book to the first page of girl names, the woman placed her right hand on each page in turn, from A to Z. Once again, her head lolled slightly, and her eyelids fluttered. When she had finished, she straightened up and handed the book back to Jack.

"Well, what'd you pick," he demanded.

"Priscilla."

"Priscilla? Eww!"

"Is there something wrong with that name?"

"Well, I guess if you like weird, old-fashioned-y names."

"And you do not like such names." The woman thought for a moment. "What would you recommend?"

"I dunno. Lisa. Marge. Mandy. Angelina. Something like that."

"I chose Priscilla because it means 'of or from ancient times.' Doctor Dan – Daniel – told me that, not only has it been a very long time since the Makers left this part of the network, but your people call the Makers 'the Ancients.' Thus, the name Priscilla is the most appropriate name in that book. Lisa means 'bright,' Mandy means 'she must be loved,' and Angelina means 'messenger.' Marge, however, was not listed in the book."

"Maybe it comes from Margaret."

"There was a name in there that was listed as deriving from Margaret, but that name was Peggy. How does one get 'Peggy' from 'Margaret,' we – I – should like to know?"

"Or maybe it's from Marjorie."

"Which means 'cheeky.' Perhaps you should consider changing _your_ name to Marge or Marjorie."

Jack glanced around to see if anyone had heard. "Are you calling me cheeky?"

"I am Priscilla, and that is final. Now, I must get back to work." She walked back up the ramp.

"Ouch," Jack muttered to himself.

He watched as Priscilla stared up along the inside of the Gate. Suddenly, she reached up and started climbing up the Gate. "You know, _Priscilla_, I could get you some scaffolding or something."

"That will not be necessary, thank you," she replied, neither pausing in her climb nor sounding remotely out of breath. At about the point on the Gate that would be the hour of nine on a clock, she stopped to inspect the iris. Then she climbed up higher, all the way around to the very top of the Gate. Straddling the interior rim of the Stargate, she seemed to be clinging to it with her legs while hanging upside down to run her hands along the edge of the iris.

The Gate started to spin, causing a signal to go off. In the Control Room, Walter Harriman put down the cup and the pot of coffee he'd been pouring and rushed to his station. A quick glance at the computer screen confirmed that no teams were due to return or check in, so Walter pressed the button that would sound the klaxons, making the announcement over the intercom. "Unscheduled off-world activation!" Automatically, Walter started to close the iris. Looking out into the Gate Room, he stopped just in time. That strange woman was hanging from the top center of the Gate!

"Priscilla, get down from there," Jack yelled as the Marines filed into the room and took up defensive positions.

She grabbed hold with her hands and let go with her legs, swinging them back to gain some momentum. When her legs had swung back, and then as far forward as they could, she let go. With a thump that made Jack wince, she landed on the ramp in front of the Stargate, bending her knees to absorb the force of the fall and ending up down on one knee. Somehow, she had spun around in mid-air to land facing the Gate. She only had time to throw her arms up in front of her face before the event horizon opened.

"Priscilla!" Jack yelled, struggling against the two Marines who were holding him back from leaping to the rescue.

In the Control Room, Walter started once again the process of closing the iris, but before it closed, the Gate unleashed the damaging energy that whooshed out several feet before being absorbed back into the event horizon.


	4. The Need

: Disclaimer : I do not own Stargate SG-1 or any of the characters in the show. The only character I claim any rights to is Priscilla. Also, the concept I will present here as the way the Stargate system "really" works is my own idea. Just FYI, this story takes place during Season 7 of the show, sometime before the episode "Heroes." Please review, and hope you enjoy!

P.S. – I now accept anonymous reviews, so please please please review!!

* * *

When the Gate Room cleared, Jack stared at the huddled form in front of the Gate. Priscilla looked up at the iris, looked around at the marines, and promptly fainted. 

"Get a medical team in here," Jack yelled.

In minutes a team of medics was rushing the gurney to the infirmary as Dr. Frasier examined the unconscious woman. Jack was hurrying along on the opposite side of the gurney. "I'm telling you, Doc, she just smacked into the floor and then the Gate did that…whooshy…thing it does, and she was right there, in the way."

"Well, other than some slight bruising and a few scrapes on her hands, she seems to be fine."

"Yeah, plus she's unconscious," Jack replied sarcastically.

Priscilla began to stir as the medical team lifted her from gurney onto a bed in the infirmary. "What happened," she asked.

Speaking over whatever medical babble Frasier was surely about to produce, Jack asked, "how did you not get disintegrated?"

Blinking, Priscilla tried to sit up. "Now try not to move, you may be bleeding internally," Janet insisted. Priscilla, still somewhat disoriented, relaxed.

"I am fine, Doctor….I am unsure what to call you. I do not quite understand the 'first name basis' interactions that Daniel described."

"You can call me Janet, but right now we need to start examining you. We have to make sure there are no internal injuries. From what Colonel O'Neill says, you took quite a fall."

"There are no internal injuries, Janet. I must get back to my work." Priscilla started to sit up again.

"Not until I've given the OK." Janet pushed Priscilla firmly back against the pillow.

Jack piped in. "Might as well give up. You can't win this one."

"Why not," Priscilla asked sourly.

"Because I'm the doctor," Janet replied, cutting off Jack's comment.

Priscilla frowned. "Very well. But you will find nothing."

* * *

Jack and Daniel went to watch from the observation room while Dr. Frasier began to examine an unwilling Priscilla. Sam, who had stayed in the Control Room during the incident, suddenly joined them in the room. 

"That was Teal'c coming in hot," she said, before anyone could ask.

"Didn't he just leave?" asked Jack.

"Not long before, ah, whats-her-name started examining the iris, as a matter of fact."

"Priscilla," said Jack. "Her name's Priscilla."

"What went wrong?" Daniel asked simultaneously.

Sam chose to ignore Jack for the moment. "Well, as you know, Teal'c and Bra'tac were to make contact with a group of rebel Jaffa within Ba'al's ranks. It seems that the rebels were discovered about a day or so ago, and Ba'al set up a trap. But both Teal'c and Bra'tac are fine; actually, they're on their way to the infirmary right now." As if on cue, Teal'c and Bra'tac walked through the door, where some nurses, warned by a phone call from the Control Room, met them and directed them to unoccupied hospital beds for their examinations. Janet was still busy with Priscilla.

* * *

Priscilla stared up at the ceiling. Her fingers were twitching slightly with the need to be about her business. _Patient,_ she kept telling herself. _Just be patient._ She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth against a sudden urge to scream. When she opened her eyes, Teal'c was standing over her bed. 

"Doctor Frasier says you have been uncooperative," he stated.

"There is nothing wrong with me aside from the slight effects of jumping from that height. I need to perform my function."

"Doctor Frasier is concerned that you may have received some form of radiation from the energy you were exposed to."

"The natural effect of that energy causes normal tissue to disintegrate. My cells are immune to that effect. There are no alternative effects. I am quite undamaged." Priscilla began tapping her fingernails against the bedrails on either side of her. When she continued, her voice was strained. "I beg you to speak to whomever must make the decision. I have a function to perform. Please allow me to perform it."

"That decision will likely not be considered until Doctor Frasier has determined that you are healthy enough." Teal'c turned to go.

Sitting up, Priscilla grabbed Teal'c's arm. "You do not understand. Just as the immunity is built into my cells, so is the Need to perform my function in a timely fashion. Every moment that I am forced to lie here and do nothing, the Need grows stronger." She held up her other hand. "My hands have begun to shake. I must fight not to scream in frustration." Tears began to form in her eyes. "I believe that I will become increasingly irrational if I am inactive much longer. I fear…I fear that I may become violent. I have no desire to be disrespectful of this world's hospitality. But I may be unable to restrain the Need much longer. Please, Teal'c, speak to whomever is in charge. I beg you."

Teal'c locked gazes with Priscilla, searching for any signs of deception or manipulation. After a moment, he bowed his head slightly. "Very well. I cannot promise anything, but I will see what I can do."

* * *

"I believe she was telling the truth, General Hammond," Teal'c said. 

Hammond, sitting at the head of the table in the briefing room, frowned. "But if that's all true, then we're going to have to reach a decision soon."

"And if it's not the one she wants," Jack continued, "we might be forced to take drastic action."

"But why would the Ancients do that," Sam asked. "I mean, she's a component of the Gate network. So why would they feel the need to genetically encode her duties so strongly that it almost amounts to an addiction?"

"Because the Makers feared the humanity within me," Priscilla replied, having heard the question as she and Daniel entered the room.

At a glance from Hammond, Daniel assured everyone that Doctor Frasier had given the woman a clean bill of health.

Priscilla continued. "I was created to be automatically generated if any Gateway within my branch of the network required maintenance that could not be handled by the computation systems, or if physical labor was necessary. Once my task is complete, a chemical will be triggered in my brain that will force a reintegration instinct. I will be compelled to return to the system. But given the potential need for physical labor, the Makers found it necessary to include human DNA. They created me to be as close to genetically perfect as possible, but that did not solve the problem of my individuality. To finish my task is, in essence, to die, to lose that individuality. I suspect that is the reason they did not supply me with a name for myself, and why they ensured that I would be accustomed to operating in the plural. It is human nature to fear death, and there is a part of me that is terrified. But that part is overridden by the Need to perform the task for which I was created. Genetically encoding the Need was the only way the Makers could be confident that all repairs would be carried out in a timely fashion."

Jack was the first to find his voice. "So…basically, if you never finished your job, you could live out your life like any other human being."

"Precisely, Jack." There was not a trace of self-pity in Priscilla's voice. The same genetic encoding that gave her the need also overrode her ability to feel sorry for herself. "General Hammond, I beg you to allow me to fulfill my purpose."

"That's not an easy decision, Priscilla," Hammond replied. "The people in charge aren't comfortable with the idea of your gaining access to all of our records."

"As to that, General," Daniel interjected.

"I'm open to any suggestions you may have, Doctor Jackson," said Hammond.

"Ok, granted, I don't know much about computers, especially networking. But couldn't we just put the dialing program on a separate network, with absolutely no connection to the network that contains everything else? I mean, it doesn't have to be a permanent thing, just long enough for her to look it over and make the necessary changes. She doesn't gain access to our records, but she can still do whatever it is she needs to do. Everybody wins."

Hammond looked at Sam. "Can we do that?"

"Yeah," she replied, sounding a little startled. "Actually, that's a really good idea."

"I'll go call the President," said Hammond.


	5. Repairs

: Disclaimer : I do not own Stargate SG-1 or any of the characters in the show. The only character I claim any rights to is Priscilla. Also, the concept I will present here as the way the Stargate system "really" works is my own idea. Just FYI, this story takes place during Season 7 of the show, sometime before the episode "Heroes." Please review, and hope you enjoy!

P.S. – I now accept anonymous reviews, so please please please review!!

* * *

Priscilla sat at a computer, one hand on the keyboard. Her shoulders were hunched, her head lolled off to one side, and her eyelids were fluttering wildly. The small, unconnected network held nothing more than the dialing program. Sam started when Priscilla suddenly sat up straight. 

"This program is faulty, as I suspected. It will be easiest if I can download the Designation program from an active Destination Designation Device."

"How," ask Sam.

Priscilla smiled. "Simply dial an address that you know will connect. I will be able to connect with the device on that world through the Gateway and act as a link to download the program from the device into your machines."

Daniel held up a finger. "SG-5 is due to check in soon. About five minutes, actually. Maybe less."

"I can perform my duties through that wormhole."

"Will radio signals affect your…link," asked Sam.

"I am unfamiliar with your radio signals. However, I do not think they would cause any problems."

"Still," said Sam, "I think it might be best if we didn't use a wormhole that was carrying radio signals, just in case."

"Then by all means, let us wait for them check in. It may be wise to exercise caution." Priscilla paused for a moment. "I am feeling a strange sensation in my stomach. I am unsure how best to describe it." Just then, her stomach growled loudly.

"You're probably hungry," remarked Jack. At Priscilla's blank look, he continued. "You know, as in you need to eat something."

"I do not recall…eating," Priscilla said slowly.

"Well, since we're waiting anyway, why not grab some lunch," Daniel suggested.

* * *

"What is this," Priscilla asked, lifting the apple she had bitten. 

"That is known as an apple," replied Teal'c.

"It is delicious," she exclaimed.

"You should try the Jell-O," said Jack. "Here, have some of the blue." He slid a dish across the table.

She took a spoonful of blue Jell-O and whipped cream, and soon made appreciative noises as she savored the flavor. Once she had emptied the dish, however, she remembered that she had a question for Sam. "Some of the parameters you created for your designation program seem somewhat odd. Upon what theories of Gateway travel did you base your calculations?"

Sam explained the theory that the gate creates an artificial wormhole between two worlds.

"Ah, that is where the error lies." At Sam's questioning look, Priscilla began to explain. "You see, the wormholes, as you call them, are not artificial. They exist naturally in subspace, which is smaller than real space. Even the Makers do not know how the wormholes occurred, just that they could use them for instantaneous travel between worlds. When the six destination points and the origination point have been designated, the two Gateways create…ramps, if you will, into the system of wormholes. The ramps create a unique set of particles. The particles that have a positive charge are on the origination ramp. When a person or object enters the event horizon of the ramp, one of these particles attaches to each separate molecule. The particles are self-renewing, so it does not matter how many molecules are being transferred. The bonded particles are released from the origination ramp, where they take the swiftest path to their corresponding negative particles on the destination ramp. The particles cancel each other out in a chemical reaction that pushes the molecules to which they were bonded out into real space through the event horizon of the destination Gateway. In this way, any number of Gateways can be used simultaneously without any molecules ending up at the wrong destination."

Sam nodded, taking it all in. "Ok, but then how is it possible for the matter stream to jump to a different gate if there's an energy spike in the destination gate?"

"The molecules belong in real space. They must be returned there. If there is another active Gateway on the same world, the two would use the same access ramp, so the matter stream will simply use a different Gateway with the same designation. If there is no other active Gateway on the same world, the negatively charged destination particles will seek the nearest ramp within the system. Given the convolutions of the wormholes, the matter stream could end up anywhere in real space, although it will stay within the same branch. As I believe you already know, it takes an extra boost of energy to connect to another branch of the system." Priscilla took a sip of the coffee Daniel had gotten her, and promptly spat it back into the mug. "I apologize. The taste was…unusual."

Daniel grinned. "I guess coffee is kind of an acquired taste."

"Sam, I regret to inform you that the Need is returning and I cannot answer many more questions," Priscilla said, suddenly looking tense. "Was there anything more you wanted to know?"

"Um, I…I guess not. I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions later, after I have time to process the information, but right now I'm still just…wow! I never imagined."

"Very well. May we return?"

* * *

There was really nothing exciting to watch while Priscilla downloaded the program. It looked exactly the same as when she accessed the program to determine the best course of action. In less than ten minutes, she was finished.

* * *

General Hammond and SG-1 stood directly in front of the Stargate, where Priscilla was preparing to reintegrate. 

"I must make my goodbyes now," she said. "The urge to reintegrate is not very strong yet, but it will come more rapidly than the Need did."

"I'm sure Doc Frasier could find a way for you to stay," said Jack. "That is, if you wanted to stay."

Priscilla's smile included all of them. "Until I was generated by your Gateway, I was never in contact with other human beings. You taught me what it is to be human, and for that I am grateful. But I am more than just human. I am a piece of software for this branch of the Gateway system. My humanity is secondary. It is merely an inevitable aspect of what I do. My first purpose, my only purpose, is to maintain my branch of the system. I do not even know if I will remember any of the details of this encounter, aside from performing the necessary repairs."

"Maybe it's been genetically encoded in you to forget any human contact," Daniel suggested. "Maybe you have met other humans before, but you can't remember it."

"That may be so. I would have no way of knowing. But if it is not so, then know that I will remember my time here fondly."

"You could visit us," said Jack. "Or call. Send an e-mail."

"I could activate a Gateway from the world on which I am generated, but I cannot travel through it."

Sam frowned. "Why not?"

"I am created by whichever Gateway requires maintenance. If I attempted to travel to another world, I would be automatically absorbed back into the system and re-generated by the original Gateway. And I lack the means to speak on your radio system."

"Didn't you say you could connect with the DHD on another planet through an open wormhole," asked Sam.

"Yes, that is possible."

"So," Sam continued, "can't you do the same with our computer program?"

"That might be possible."

Jack clapped Priscilla on the shoulder. "So, like I said, e-mail. Sorta."

"If I am generated again within your lifetimes, and if my memories are intact, and if I can connect with your computers, then I shall certainly do so."

Jack grinned. "See? Then _we_ can gate to wherever _you_ are. It'll be a blast. We'll bring cake."

"I would like that, Jack." Priscilla looked at each of them in turn. "If my memory is not removed , I will miss all of you very much." She paused for a moment, looking very awkward. "I researched means of saying goodbye to close friends. I am not sure if I have chosen the most appropriate means, so if I am incorrect, I beg your forgiveness." And before anyone could ask, she kissed each and every one of them full on the mouth, Sam last of all. Then she turned, stepped into the empty gate, and stretched up her arms. As she faded into the same opalescent shimmer that generated her, they all heard a whispered farewell. For a moment, the shimmer looked like a normal event horizon, then vanished.

Jack looked back at Sam for a moment.

"What," she asked, feeling her face turn beet red.

"That was kind of hot," was his only reply before he walked back down the ramp and out of the gate room.

"What," she asked again, this time incredulously. She looked at the other three men standing on the ramp. It was not hot, it was awkward!

Daniel raised his hands defensively, but couldn't quite smother the grin as he walked away, with Teal'c and Hammond not far behind him. Sam looked up at Walter in the control room. Walter shrugged and quickly found some work to do.

"What," she asked one last time, her question seeming almost to echo in the now-empty room.


End file.
